Happy Birthday, Frankenstein!
It's so cliche to say this, but I'll say it anyway because it's true -- I can't believe how fast you are growing up! Francesca Leslie Massie, you are FIVE years old today! I was there when you were five HOURS old! And it doesn't seem like it was that long ago!
Here I am holding you for the first time, in Rachel's recovery room at the hospital where you were born. You were so teeny tiny! Look how my hand is so much bigger than your head in this picture! I love that Facebook has become so popular and user-friendly since you were born. I have photos of you from every birthday, and can watch the history of your childhood as I flip through pictures online in a matter of minutes. I don't know if you'll ever really be able to wrap your head around what a big development that is for folks in my generation. But this is about you, not the history of photography...anyway, what I'm saying is I'm really glad I have all these moments in pictures, because you have grown up a lot and you've done so many cute, adorable, and awesome things, the memories would be fuzzier without all these pictures. Here's another really precious one that I hope will be special to you one day:
That's William holding Lucy up to the nursery window in the hospital so she could get her first glimpse of her baby sister. Look how excited she is! I've loved watching your relationship with Lucy develop. You girls are very different, but definitely both Massie girls! You sometimes butt heads like all siblings do, but you love each other so much. I wasn't there when Bess was born, but I imagine your reaction was similar to this. I know you have really enjoyed getting to be a big sister, too. You're very proud of that role, and I'm very proud of how you relate to your family. I'm proud to be a part of your family.
You are the most loving person I know (and anyone who knows my in-laws knows that this is major statement!). Your sweetness and affection has a lot to do with why I love being an aunt so much. I have always loved it, of course, but it took a while for me to figure out how I would define the role of aunt. I don't have much experience with younger kids, and I didn't really know how to be a good aunt. Sometimes it was hard to tell if Lucy liked me at all. I just didn't know how to entertain little girls. But you were very different. As soon as you could talk, you were very affectionate, and always willing to play with me. You made aunting easy! You were outgoing and friendly and would tell me what you wanted. When you were very little, I taught you how to waddle -- just a funny walk that I made up while watching you play on the beach in Easthampton. You thought it was hilarious, and would copy me and shout "waddle waddle waddle!" and laugh hysterically. Do you have any idea how rewarding it is to make a kid laugh? I have always loved to make you laugh, and I especially love how easy it is! You really enjoy my silly side, which is lucky for me because I'm a very silly person. Being able to make you smile and laugh really took the whole aunt thing to a new level for me.
I live far away and don't get to visit as often as I would like, and I know when little kids don't see someone for a while, it's easy to just kind of forget about them. With most of the kids in the family, it takes a little while to get comfortable when we're visiting for the first time in a while. It's not a bad thing, just a fact -- when you haven't seen someone in a long time, it's not easy to be best buddies right away. Sometimes you need to catch up and reacquaint yourselves. But you've never been this way with me. I remember coming to New York for your 2nd birthday, and I hadn't seen you in about seven months -- surely you were too young then to remember me. I'm sure your parents coached you a little bit before I came, but you knew my name as soon as you saw me, and you gave me a hug and a kiss right away. Now that you're older, I don't worry about you forgetting me between visits, but it still amazes me how affectionate you always are right from the start. One of my all-time favorite memories is from when I was just passing through New York. I just had time to stop by for the afternoon and have dinner before I had to leave again. Your mom told you I was coming to visit that day, and when you heard the elevator, you ran out of your apartment and greeted me immediately. "Aunt Meg!" you yelled, "I love you!" I'll never forget that :)
Since you guys got the 7F apartment, I've been able to visit and stay with you a few more times. Whenever I sleep there, you crawl into bed with me in the morning to wake me up, and you just cuddle with me until we decide it's time to get up. The thing about being an aunt is that I want to hug my nieces all the time, but you guys probably would rather play than just spend all day in a big hug. I get it and that doesn't hurt my feelings at all. But I really appreciate how much time you do spend on hugs.
Over the past couple of years, I've been able to share my seahorse obsession with you. I gave you the stuffed seahorse that you named Francesca Meg Massie, and I'm so honored that she is one of your favorites. You know I love seahorses a lot, and so it's fun for me that you like them so much, too. It's like our thing. I love that we have a thing together, even if I kind of forced it on you.
One of my favorite things that you do right now (besides give me hugs) is sing pop songs. My brother has coached you to sing some particularly hilarious lines from the music of our day...you used to say "No, no, no" the way Amy Winehouse sings it in "Rehab," and your latest thing is the following bit of dialogue:
Hey Frankie, what's on your mind?
"I got my mind on my money and my money on my mind."
How much money do you have?
"Zero."
You also sing "Call Me Maybe," with your own version of the lyrics -- "Hey, I just met you, and this is gravy, but here's my mother, so call me maybe." You rock, kiddo. I'm excited to see what you'll learn this year, and what memories I will have to add for your sixth birthday. Thanks for all the laughs and smiles you give me. I love you!
Here I am holding you for the first time, in Rachel's recovery room at the hospital where you were born. You were so teeny tiny! Look how my hand is so much bigger than your head in this picture! I love that Facebook has become so popular and user-friendly since you were born. I have photos of you from every birthday, and can watch the history of your childhood as I flip through pictures online in a matter of minutes. I don't know if you'll ever really be able to wrap your head around what a big development that is for folks in my generation. But this is about you, not the history of photography...anyway, what I'm saying is I'm really glad I have all these moments in pictures, because you have grown up a lot and you've done so many cute, adorable, and awesome things, the memories would be fuzzier without all these pictures. Here's another really precious one that I hope will be special to you one day:
That's William holding Lucy up to the nursery window in the hospital so she could get her first glimpse of her baby sister. Look how excited she is! I've loved watching your relationship with Lucy develop. You girls are very different, but definitely both Massie girls! You sometimes butt heads like all siblings do, but you love each other so much. I wasn't there when Bess was born, but I imagine your reaction was similar to this. I know you have really enjoyed getting to be a big sister, too. You're very proud of that role, and I'm very proud of how you relate to your family. I'm proud to be a part of your family.
You are the most loving person I know (and anyone who knows my in-laws knows that this is major statement!). Your sweetness and affection has a lot to do with why I love being an aunt so much. I have always loved it, of course, but it took a while for me to figure out how I would define the role of aunt. I don't have much experience with younger kids, and I didn't really know how to be a good aunt. Sometimes it was hard to tell if Lucy liked me at all. I just didn't know how to entertain little girls. But you were very different. As soon as you could talk, you were very affectionate, and always willing to play with me. You made aunting easy! You were outgoing and friendly and would tell me what you wanted. When you were very little, I taught you how to waddle -- just a funny walk that I made up while watching you play on the beach in Easthampton. You thought it was hilarious, and would copy me and shout "waddle waddle waddle!" and laugh hysterically. Do you have any idea how rewarding it is to make a kid laugh? I have always loved to make you laugh, and I especially love how easy it is! You really enjoy my silly side, which is lucky for me because I'm a very silly person. Being able to make you smile and laugh really took the whole aunt thing to a new level for me.
I live far away and don't get to visit as often as I would like, and I know when little kids don't see someone for a while, it's easy to just kind of forget about them. With most of the kids in the family, it takes a little while to get comfortable when we're visiting for the first time in a while. It's not a bad thing, just a fact -- when you haven't seen someone in a long time, it's not easy to be best buddies right away. Sometimes you need to catch up and reacquaint yourselves. But you've never been this way with me. I remember coming to New York for your 2nd birthday, and I hadn't seen you in about seven months -- surely you were too young then to remember me. I'm sure your parents coached you a little bit before I came, but you knew my name as soon as you saw me, and you gave me a hug and a kiss right away. Now that you're older, I don't worry about you forgetting me between visits, but it still amazes me how affectionate you always are right from the start. One of my all-time favorite memories is from when I was just passing through New York. I just had time to stop by for the afternoon and have dinner before I had to leave again. Your mom told you I was coming to visit that day, and when you heard the elevator, you ran out of your apartment and greeted me immediately. "Aunt Meg!" you yelled, "I love you!" I'll never forget that :)
Since you guys got the 7F apartment, I've been able to visit and stay with you a few more times. Whenever I sleep there, you crawl into bed with me in the morning to wake me up, and you just cuddle with me until we decide it's time to get up. The thing about being an aunt is that I want to hug my nieces all the time, but you guys probably would rather play than just spend all day in a big hug. I get it and that doesn't hurt my feelings at all. But I really appreciate how much time you do spend on hugs.
Over the past couple of years, I've been able to share my seahorse obsession with you. I gave you the stuffed seahorse that you named Francesca Meg Massie, and I'm so honored that she is one of your favorites. You know I love seahorses a lot, and so it's fun for me that you like them so much, too. It's like our thing. I love that we have a thing together, even if I kind of forced it on you.
One of my favorite things that you do right now (besides give me hugs) is sing pop songs. My brother has coached you to sing some particularly hilarious lines from the music of our day...you used to say "No, no, no" the way Amy Winehouse sings it in "Rehab," and your latest thing is the following bit of dialogue:
Hey Frankie, what's on your mind?
"I got my mind on my money and my money on my mind."
How much money do you have?
"Zero."
You also sing "Call Me Maybe," with your own version of the lyrics -- "Hey, I just met you, and this is gravy, but here's my mother, so call me maybe." You rock, kiddo. I'm excited to see what you'll learn this year, and what memories I will have to add for your sixth birthday. Thanks for all the laughs and smiles you give me. I love you!